Using Potato Chips to Promote Physics

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - There's a science-deficit among America's young and one man's cure comes packed in a potato chip bag.

Potato Chip Science began as creator Allen Kurzweil's way to introduce his son…

"To study biology by carving a shrunken potato head, to study earth sciences by building a little compass made out of a potato chip lid. There's a huge series of physics experiments, launching little plugs of potato using a propulsion pipe that's in the kit as an introduction to Boyle's Law, although kids usually think of it as a potato shooter."

The kit, including a book describing the how and why of the experiments, and some of what you'll need to do them, comes wrapped up in what looks like a potato chip bag. Kurzweil says the unusual non-book shape has baffled some book-sellers, who think it… 'maybe in the snack aisle over there'.

Reported By: John Ostapkovich, KYW Newsradio